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Wrightbus to double production in 2022
Wrightbus is set to produce 600 buses in 2022, almost double the number the Ballymena-based firm has produced in 2021. The company will also see a significant switch in its output from 70 per cent diesel buses in 2021 to 70 per cent zero-emission buses in 2022.
The Wrightbus vehicle portfolio includes the world’s first hydrogen double decker bus, the Streetdeck Hydroliner, along with the fastest-charging EV double decker on the market, the Electroliner.
Since the launch of the Streetdeck Hydroliner, Wrightbus says it has prevented over 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions entering the atmosphere, compared to the diesel powered version of the bus – the equivalent of taking more than 230 cars off the roads for a whole year.
Wrightbus has announced it will double production in 2022 / Picture: Wrightbus
Buta Atwal, chief executive of Wrightbus, said: “Next year, we will be producing around 600 buses – almost double the number we have produced in 2021 – which will go into service across the UK and the island of Ireland. We will also see a significant switch in our output from 70 per cent diesel buses in 2021 to around 70 per cent zero-emission buses in 2022. This is a fantastic endorsement of the UK government’s and our customers’ commitment to sustainable, environmentally-friendly transport.
“The government has been clear that hydrogen plays a key role in the country’s net zero ambitions. Working at scale, Wrightbus has a clear plan in place to reduce the costs of the buses to be comparable to diesel for the total cost of ownership. Wrightbus believes that hydrogen fuel cell buses, manufactured in Ballymena, can and should be used and powered across the UK and Ireland.
“Not only will it secure and grow jobs at our factory in Ballymena, it will support the many other innovative businesses, supporting the growth of a hydrogen sector that will enable us to become a world leader in this low-carbon technology.”
Northern Ireland’s first minister, Paul Givan, added: “I have been hugely impressed by the vision of Wrightbus in working towards decarbonising the transport sector and it has been of great benefit to meet with the company at their plant and learn more about their ambitious and innovative plans.
“Wrightbus is hugely important to the local economy and an example of how Northern Ireland can produce world-leading technology. The buses and technology being developed in Ballymena are helping to lead the way globally and I want to commend Wrightbus for their ongoing drive to grow Northern Ireland’s hydrogen economy which will in turn secure and create green jobs at their factory in Ballymena.”